Recap: Madmen Ep. 2.03

Episode 2.03, "The Benefactor" starts off on a comedian doing a commercial for Utz potato chips and comparing a fat woman who has walked onto the set to the Hindenburg. Meanwhile, Betty Draper is riding horses at the stables, ogling one of the male riders with her friend. Harry is accidentally delivered Ken’s paycheck from the mail boy. He decides to open it and finds out that Kenneth makes more money.

We find out that Jimmy Barrett, the comedian from the opening scene, offended the fat woman, who turns out to be Mrs. Utz There’s a crisis when Utz decides to drop Jimmy and Sterling Cooper because of the zingers. It turns out that the insulted wife was never to be let on set, but that Don was away at a movie and not able to prevent them from walking on. Roger insinuates that Don was away with one of his mistress, leading Don to lay into his secretary Lois, who he suggests has not done a good enough job covering for him. He sort of fires her, sending her back to the switchboard.

Harry is still pissed about the difference in Ken’s salary, so he calls his friend at CBS, who turns out to be having some trouble with his copy writers. He offers to help rewrite the script, and ends up doing research on TV.

Don confronts Jimmy’s manager/wife about the insult. She ends up being a bitch to Don, off-handedly calling him a ‘glib ad man.’ She advises Don not to speak to Jimmy and to just forget about the whole event. Don offers to drive her over to Jimmy’s rehearsal at the Copa. She makes a move on Don in the car, and in typical Mad Men fashion, the camera pans away as we are left to wonder if Don adds another notch to his bed post. In the next scene, Don walks into his house and immediately washes his hands—a subtle but genius bit if innuendo. Betty gives him his watch that she had monogrammed, causing Don to have a moment of guilt about his infidelities.

Don calls Jimmy’s wife to invite her and Jimmy to dinner. Back at the stable, Betty talks with the good looking guy, who tells her how unhappy he is with his rich girl fiancé. He tells Betty that he thinks she’s beautiful and profoundly sad, and that he thinks of her a lot. He tries to kiss her. She stops him and walks away, having another one of her shaky hand fits, suggesting that she might have been a bit tempted.

Back at Sterling Cooper, the team is watching a tv show about an 18 year old who has had her illegitimate chil taken away from her by the state—basically the story of Peggy, who is also watching. Don is pitching to the client the idea of buying ad time for their lipstick during the controversial show’s slot, all at the suggestion of Harry. The company’s rep shoots the idea down, citing the wholesome nature of the lipstick’s image.

Harry confronts Roger about wanting a raise, and also suggests that the agency have a TV department. Roger gives him the title of ‘head of the TV department.’ He waffles on the amount of the raise, and ends up walking away with 25 bux more a month.

At dinner, Jimmy starts off misbehaving, hitting on Betty, and not apologizing to Mr. and Mrs. Utz. Don and Jimmy’s wife excuse themselves at the same time. Don suggests that Jimmy needs to apologize before the appetizers arrive. She replies by telling Don that she’s looked over Jimmy’s contract with a Lawyer, and that an apology is not required, and that he cant be fired. She suggests that a 25,000 bonus would make the apology happen. Don responds by grabbing her by her panties and threatening to ruin Jimmy if he doesn’t apologize to Mrs. Utz. The apology happens, and order is restored.

Best Line: (Don Draper to Jimmy’s Wife) “He can come in here with Vomit in his pockets for all I care. But these people are his benefactors.”

And finally, here’s some great shots of the lovely Betty Draper, courtesy of Holy Taco.